Following the departure of Gianluigi Buffon last summer, it was up to Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci to lead their younger teammates on the pitch and in the locker room.
The farewell of Cristiano Ronaldo in last days of the market also left a gap that had to filled, and meant that the club lost another strong personality on the pitch.
However, the Italian dup have found two other teammates who are willing to take responsibility and act like true leaders.
According to la Gazzetta dello Sport via ilBianconero, Paulo Dybala and Danilo are now bona fide leaders at Juventus.
The source notes how the Argentine and the Brazilian took it upon themselves to lift the spirit of their younger teammates during the training retreat at Continassa following last weekend’s defeat at the hands of Hellas Verona.
Moreover, Dybala displayed his strong character during the Champions League win over Zenit last Tuesday.
La Joya initially missed his spot kick, and prior to the replay, Federico Chiesa approached him to ask if he’s still willing to retake it.
The 28-year-old didn’t shy away from responsibility, and insisted on shooting again, luckily scoring on the second attempt.
Juve FC say
A lot has been said about Dybala’s mental growth in the recent months, but Danilo is another player who deserves credit, both for his solid performances at the back and for the strong character and the fighting spirit that he displays every time he steps on the pitch.
The likes of Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado might be ahead of him in the captainship’s pecking order, but the former Real Madrid man is certainly more fitting for a leadership role.
Completely agree about Danilo’s leadership and rock-solid play at the back, not matter what he’s asked to do.